Mini-Truck Hall of Fame Awards

Downtown Vegas Rocks Out

The Mini-Truck Hall of Fame had their awards ceremony in typical Vegas fashion with a party that took place right outside of the raucous Hogs & Heifers saloon in downtown. The street was closed, so a diverse array of custom cars and trucks could line up and have the bright lights shine down on them.

Host and curator of the Hall, Bob Hase, was in rare form that night as he took the attendees and audience on a trip down memory lane, telling stories of the early days of the scene. Hase is a legend in the scene himself, having started Sunset custom car and truck club back in the late ’70s and was in charge of organizing the custom show Resolutions (a.k.a. Reso) until it ended a few years ago (it has since been resurrected).

The MTHOF honored some real pioneers of the mini scene and gave them a proper introduction into the Hall itself. Surrounded by friends and family, the inductees for 2016 included the club Down to Earth, legendary mini-truck Abacaba, long-running show Slamfest, builder Tim Berendes, painter Pat Maxwell, Godfather Customs out of Decatur, Georgia, and journalist Dick DeLoach. And Marty Smith received the Courtney Halowell Lifetime Achieve Award, and Eric Coleman received the Mini Truck Memorial Award, in memoriam, which was accepted by his family.

All in all, it was a great kickoff party to SEMA 2016, having taken place one day before the juggernaut opened at the Las Vegas Convention Center. All those in attendance had a great time mingling with friends who are usually scattered throughout the country the rest of the year, but come together to celebrate the Hall, throw back a few drinks, and talk about old times.